Pages

Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Kitchen Reveal

Alright. Let's talk about my kitchen.

Like I mentioned a few days ago, my kitchen is finally finally done! And it only took a year and a half. But the end result is totally worth it, right??

Just to remind you of what it looked like before-- here's what my kitchen looked like when we first moved into this house. It had a lot of bright colours going on, but was still dark and dreary. It felt cramped, small, a tad depressing, and really didn't work for me :)

Fast forward 4 years, and here's what it looks like today. When I walk into my kitchen I can hardly believe it's the same room. Here's what it looks like now (when it's clean).

Now let's get into some of the details.

This was NOT a "go big or go home" kind of kitchen... but it also wasn't an extreme budget kitchen. We had one major, MAJOR factor working in our favour-- my husband builds and designs custom kitchens for a living. So... when it comes to the cabinetry, we got the best cabinetry possible and only paid for the materials since Doug was able to build it all with his own two hands. But even though we were able to get the cabinetry we wanted for a great deal, we still were very conscious of our budget. Here's a quick break down of the saves vs. the splurges in this kitchen:

SAVE:

kept existing appliances
kept existing layout-- for the most part
ikea faucet
inexpensive backsplash tile choice
used reclaimed wood for shelves
bought inexpensive knobs for cabinet doors
did ALL the work ourselves. ALL.

SPLURGE:

quartz countertops (BUT, were still a bit of a save... as you'll soon find out!!)
expensive (and beautiful) bin pulls on all drawers
Closed up an existing window and made another one taller
Removed bulkhead

Okay. So that was the summary. Here are the details.

To save money, we didn't remove the wall that separates the kitchen from the living room. People renovating with a similar floor plan typically do this, but it would have required considerably more time and cash-- two things we sure don't have a lot of these days!! I still wanted that space to feel unique, so we added some open shelves between the upper cabinets to display some pretty stuff and tiled all the way up to the ceiling. The lower cabinets are the same depth as the upper cabinets which keeps the room feeling spacious but still gives us added storage and counter space.

This next area of the kitchen required the most amount of work. When we moved in there used to be a floor to ceiling window right where those open shelves are located. While I loved all the natural light the window gave, the kitchen really really needed more counter space and more room for drawers! Previously I had 3 really teeny tiny drawers-- now I have these 6 big ones plus three more on the other side of the sink. And I can't tell you how much of a difference the extra three feet of counter space makes when I'm working in the kitchen with all my little "helpers". It really makes this room so much more functional.

While this spot of the kitchen is definitely more functional, I also wanted it to be pretty. Isn't that what we all want? A kitchen that's both functional and pretty?? So... bring on more open shelves! My kitchen is a very white-- and I love it-- but to keep it from feeling too cold and clinical I added some natural wood. These natural wood shelves turned out to be my absolute most favourite part of the kitchen. They turned out way better than I ever thought they would. They were also a money saving solution-- the wood was free as it was just sitting around the shop taking up space and we didn't have to pay to have them sprayed like other finished parts.

These shelves hold all of my everyday dishes and glassware. It's the perfect spot-- I unload my dishwasher right up onto those shelves-- no opening cabinet doors and moving things around-- everything gets stacked right up on these shelves and is used every, every day.

I've had a lot of people email asking about our countertops. Even though I love marble, I knew that it could be a risky choice for my kitchen since we cook and live in this room all day long. So, I decided to go for quartz since it's a much more durable option. I was going to go with Misty Carrera by Caesarstone, but in the 11th hour I discovered that the countertop company we were going to work with sold a generic brand of quartz that had a colour that I liked even better than Caesarstone's Misty Carrera. The spots and colour variation is more subtle than the Misty Carrera and is a tad less "grey". And the best part was it was 40% cheaper than the Caesarstone option. Pretty much a no brainer if you as me!

Others have asked about our cabinetry hardware. The bin pulls on all of the drawers are from Restoration Hardware and were a splurge. To save a bit of money I ordered knobs in the same finish (polished nickel) from an online supplier that were considerably cheaper than the matching ones from RH. And, I really really love them.

Our faucet was a major save-- Ikea. $79. And I was like... WHAT!!? Seriously. It has the look I wanted and for $79?? Again, a total no brainer if you ask me! I love the handles-- they have a vintage vibe that I totally love.

And the backsplash. We saved money using a standard 3x6 white subway tile from Home Depot. Even though our backsplash tile choice was cheap, it's still a classic look and I really love the way it looks all the way up to to the ceiling behind the open shelves, and around the kitchen window. I also really love the light grey grout we selected. It is subtle, but really makes the tile a feature in the kitchen.

Next week I'll do a special post listing the sources. I bet you can't wait!! If anyone has a specific question they want answered leave one in the comments or feel free to email me directly.

To conclude, I'm just going to brag about my hubby for a minute. Doug designed/built/installed this kitchen with his own two hands. ALL OF IT. I knew he was good at what he does-- but even I was amazed at how GOOD he is at building kitchens... and how GOOD he is at all the little details that most people miss and don't notice. I could explain my vision to him knowing that he would and could create exactly what I dreamed up. Every little detail is perfect. Exceptional. Every day I walk into my kitchen and I can't believe Doug made it. What would I do without him!!

So, if you live in the lower mainland and are looking for a cabinetry guy-- I know a really really good one!! Shoot me an email if you want some info.

And, that concludes the long awaited (almost thought it was never going to end) kitchen renovation. I love it. Hope you do too :)

ps: sorry 'bout the amateur photos-- still learning!

pps: don't you just love how those pink peonies made it into almost every shot??

I would (almost) get on a plane from Thailand to come party in that kitchen... for reals! ;) Its honestly stunning. Every single detail of it. And I have to say, the pop of pink peonies really do take your pictures from "amateur" (as you said... and I don't agree with), to "style @ home-esque." Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Stunning! So light and airy. Would you mind providing more info about the quartz you used and where it came from? I love yours, and I can't stomach the cost of the countertops (I am on an extreme budget renovation, since we'll probably move in a couple of years, but I can't take our kitchen!)

I love everything about it! I remembered you saying misty carerra but then i was always surprised in the photos because it looked so different from others i've seen. I would REALLY love to know the brand and style of quartz you chose. We've been having such a hard time selecting our countertops and cost is definitely a factor. If i can get quartz for less than the quote we've got for ceasarstone, it would definitely be a winner in our home...

Man, girl! Love it all! You can't beat a white kitchen, can ya? I love the grout color you chose. It's just enough to accent the individual tiles. Great choice. And how awesome is it to say that your husband built your kitchen?! So so cool. Oh and your photos are just gorgeous too:) Thanks for taking the time to share your beautiful kitchen with us:)

it is absolutely gorgeous! I'm so glad that Christine (from Just Bella) told me the source of the photo I pinned! I'm going to be showing our tiler the photo of your backsplash, the grout colour is exactly what I'm wanting for ours. Thank you!

We JUST bought our first house yesterday and the kitchen needs a makeover. I was wondering if Cloud White and white white subway tiles would look good beside each other....so naturally, I googled it. Came across your blog and WOW! Do they ever look good together! Your kitchen is exactly what I'm going for - butcher block tops for us though. Thank you for sharing!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be spending the next 2 hours going through your archives.

my husband and i are about to redo our kitchen right now and i searched kitchen on pinterst and saw yours! it's so wonderful. i've been wanting to do reclaimed wood for open shelving. how did you hang yours is my question?? any tips!? thanks so much. and enjoy that kitchen!

What are you talking about with your photos!? These look straight out of a magazine! Such a gorgeous kitchen...love the subway tiles with the light gray grout and the quartz counters, Aso love the open shelving in the natural wood...definitely warms up the space. Amazing job!!

Hi there, I just discovered your blog via Cottage and Vine. Your kitchen is amazing, and just what I'd like to have one day. I love all the details you chose, especially the open shelves! Your husband does fantastic work. You are very lucky to have him! I look forward to browsing the rest of your blog. Meanwhile, I'll be pinning photos of your kitchen for future reference.Claudia

I absolutely LOVE what you did with your kitchen!!! I'd like to know more specifics about the countertops. What is the generic brand? Are you able to give an apx amount spent on the total renno? We are looking to redo our, but a little afraid of what the total cost will be.

Your kitchen turned out amazing! Cheers to having handy husbands who can build amazing cabinetry. We're in the midst of a kitchen remodel ourselves, I'm blogging all about it here. We'll be building some inset doors and getting quartz countertops installed soon hopefully!

Thank you so much for all of your inspiration, and the beautiful photos! Considering I'm in month seven of our own kitchen renovation it's making me feel so good to hear how long yours took. My husband has completed all but our glass tile backsplash and quartz countertop installations. I absolutely love the results of your renovation! (The peonies were gorgeous, too!)

Your kitchen remodel turned out AMAZING!!! WOW!! I love. And the shape is so much like ours... so it's great inspiration. I am going to be tile-ing my kitchen, and building a surround around the refrigerator... and I'd really LOVE to see how your kitchen looks from this angle: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bVnkA0WASJo/TO2NNUD4_TI/AAAAAAAABa0/gfqC9AL5nO4/s640/IMG_5629.JPG Do you have a finished photo of this angle? :) Pretty please??

Hi, I am also looking at the misty Carrera counter tops and am concerned with the grey color. I didn't see your comments back on the type/color of quartz that you used. I would love to know this info if you wouldn't mind sharing it:) Thank you! Christa

Get Facebook Likes on your fb page, likes on your facebook pictures, followers on your facebook id, shares of your facebook posts, every thing is available here, visit for more detailswww.jobzcorner.com

Get Facebook Likes on your fb page, likes on your facebook pictures, followers on your facebook id, shares of your facebook posts, every thing is available here, visit for more detailswww.jobzcorner.com

Wonderful tips for re-doing a Kitchen.Whenever you are going to have the home remodeling , one thing must keep in mind that the budget. First know whether the things are in your budget or not because the remodeling seems to be very costly.Also, when i had the home remodeling , i only prefer things that i had in my budget. SO budget is the main concern when doing remodeling.

Wow, what a huge kitchen! I like white color kitchen cabinets. White color gives fresh. I really like pink color flowers to decorate kitchen which looks very pretty. I must save this blog link for upcoming updates. Thanks for sharing this blog.

Absolutely beautiful kitchen! Not sure if you responded to the previous inquiries regarding the quartz countertop brand and color. I am interested in the one you used. Also, what color grout did you use and where did you purchase it from? there are so many gray color grouts out there but I love the one you chose. Thanks!

I love your kitchen shelf, it's really creative, and the white color gives an elegant and luxurious side to the kitchen. my husband and I would like to install white shelves on the wall our kitchen, this is a moment that is also looking for shelf models and really like your style but my husband cracked on this little kitchen that we saw on http://www.archiexpo.com/architecture-design-manufacturer/kitchen-shelf-75.html.Otherwise, this site offers a lot of choice of beautiful kitchen shelves, very practical, design, and strong. Go take a quick look.

Very pretty and inviting kitchen with open shelving idea. Open shelving makes the room look and feel bigger. I will always have some open shelves. I love them. :)Great transformation.white marble slabs

Do you by chance recall the color of the grout from home depot? We have the same tile going in with white Corian countertops and the gray grouts at Home Depot look so dark. I want mine to look like yours. Thank you!

I found a picture of your kitchen on Pinterest and fell in love immediately! We are finalizing plans for our kitchen reno and you pretty much nailed every detail. LOVE. And my little heart fluttered every time I saw the pink peonies!! They are my fav flower ever. You've got some great taste, girly.

P.S. Your photos are AWESOME so you should give yourself some more credit. :)

what an absolutely gorgeous, beautiful kitchen!!! we are currently needing to remodel ours too and yours is definitely an inspiration. i wanted white and clean and minimal but warm. you nailed it! and how lucky are you that your hubby made this?! i wish you guys were in my area!

Your kitchen is just beautiful, and very close to the way I want mine to look! We are just now getting estimates for our minor kitchen remodel, in preparation of putting our house up for sale within a year. Since our cabinets and island are in good condition, we will just be refacing them. I have chosen to go with white for the cabinets, and the same type of countertops as you chose. That way, our black and stainless double ovens will not be so out of place since the gray in the countertops will balance them. Obviously, I will be trying to keeps costs down, so I read you description of the material with interest. Can you please give me an idea of cost /sq. ft. and what I should look for?

Your kitchen is PERFECT! We are in the middle of "back-splashing" too! :S... we are a little nervous to see the final product. Just wondering, Did you use any spacers between your subway tile? If so what size? Thank you so much :)

Present day furniture is streamlined with cleaned, smooth and smooth surfaces. Pieces are fundamental, uncluttered, amassed for economy of structure, and to fill a need. Furniture pieces are kept to an outright least. The driving setup thought is validity: keeping structure and building material in plain viewthese details.

I too love your simple subway tile backsplash and grout color! I am using subway tile in my new kitchen and have been trying to decide on a gray grout color. I have read through your comments and it seems I'm not the only one who likes it. Could you please tell me the color gray you chose ? If you already posted, I'm sorry for asking again

Amazing pictures:) Renovating a kitchen from scratch is quite a difficult job. According to my opinion it can't be possible without professional assistance. Hiring a professional remodeling contractor is the best decision to avoid problems.

Not sure if you check this blog anymore, but I would love to know the specific quartz brand and color that you selected. I am driving myself crazy trying to decide between all of the great white options. Appreciate it!

I LOVE your kitchen. We are updating our kitchen and want to do the backsplash just like you did. Can you tell me the exact brand and color grout that you used? We want to get use that color but can't seem to find one that is similar.Thank you!

I LOVE your kitchen....it is my inspiration for our current kitchen DIY reno. I am about to order Duluth pulls from RH. Would you mind sharing where you got polished nickel knobs from? Trying to save a bit of $$too! Thanks

I spent a long time scrolling through your comments trying to see if you ever answered everyone's questions about the specific grout color and place you bought it. Would you mind taking a minute to share that with everyone. Also, I have the same question as everyone else about the spacers that you used. It's frustrating to have you share so many details but leave these particular details out and not respond to so many inquiries. Not trying to be rude...just really like to know the answers to these two questions. Thanks!